Growing flowers from seed is a lovely way to fill your garden with color without spending much money on nursery plants. Watching tiny seedlings grow into flowering plants is rewarding, especially when many annuals bloom in the same season.
You don’t need years of gardening experience or a large yard to get started, either. Whether you’re planting flower beds, raised beds, or containers, these 13 annual flowers are worth trying, and some may even reseed themselves for another display next year.
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
California poppies bring cheerful orange blooms and blue-green foliage to sunny gardens, and they handle dry conditions well once established. Scatter the seeds directly where you want them to grow in spring, and you may see new flowers return in later seasons as the plants reseed themselves.
Related post: 14 Edible Flowers That Will Dress Up Your Garden and Dinner Plate
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Sunflowers are a favorite for their large, sunny blooms, and you can choose tall varieties for garden beds or compact ones for pots. Sow seeds directly outdoors in a sunny spot with good soil, since sunflowers grow quickly and usually do better when not transplanted.
Related post: 19 Gorgeous Wildflowers That Will Fill Out Your Garden
Rocket Larkspur (Consolida ajacis)
Rocket larkspur produces tall flower spikes in blue, pink, purple, and white, making it a lovely choice for cottage gardens and mixed borders. It prefers cool weather and full sun, and taller plants may need staking to keep their flower stems upright.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Cornflowers are easy to grow and bring delicate blue, pink, purple, or white blooms to garden beds while attracting bees and butterflies. Sow the seeds directly into well-drained soil in a sunny spot, and the plants can flower over a long stretch of the growing season.
Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
Sweet peas are loved for their fragrant blooms in shades of pink, purple, red, and white, and they look lovely climbing over a fence or trellis. Plant the seeds in a sunny spot with fertile soil, give the vines something sturdy to climb, and pick the flowers regularly to encourage more blooms.
Related post: 18 Beautiful Flowers That Give Rose-Like Vibes
Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
Sweet alyssum forms low-growing mounds covered with tiny flowers that give off a light, honey-like scent. It grows well along garden edges, in hanging baskets, and in containers, where its small blooms can attract pollinators throughout the season.
Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
Globe amaranth has rounded flower heads in shades of pink, purple, red, and white that hold their color well in summer heat. Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil, and enjoy the flowers in the garden or cut them for fresh and dried arrangements.
Petunia (Petunia × hybrida)
Petunias produce trumpet-shaped flowers in a wide range of colors and are popular for containers, window boxes, and flower beds. Give them plenty of sun, water regularly, and remove faded flowers as needed to keep them looking their best all season.
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
Snapdragons add height and plenty of color, with flower spikes in white, yellow, pink, red, orange, and purple. They prefer cooler growing conditions and fertile, well-drained soil, so plant them in full sun or light afternoon shade in warmer areas.
Zinnias (Zinnia spp.)
Zinnias are easy annuals for beginners, producing bright blooms in many colors from early summer until frost. Sow seeds directly into warm soil in a sunny spot, and cut flowers for bouquets to encourage more blooms.
Related: 13 Beginner-Friendly Annual Flowers You Can Start from Seed
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Nasturtiums have cheerful orange, yellow, and red flowers and round, lily pad-like leaves; both the flowers and leaves are edible. They grow well in poor to average soil with good drainage, and trailing varieties look lovely spilling over pot and hanging basket edges.
Morning Glory
Morning glories grow quickly into climbing vines covered with large, trumpet-shaped flowers that open in the morning and often close later in the day. Sow seeds near a fence, trellis, or other support in a sunny spot, and water young plants regularly while they establish.
Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena)
Love-in-a-Mist has delicate blue, white, pink, or purple flowers surrounded by fine, feathery foliage, followed by unusual seed pods that stay attractive after flowering. Sow seeds directly outdoors in early spring, and the plants may reseed themselves if you let some seed pods mature.
Related: 18 Beautiful Flowers That Give Rose-Like Vibes
